Collapsible chair



July 18, 1967 J. MUNSON ETAL 3,331,629

COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 15, 1966 FIEE' NZ 5 m H www MM@ 4. W13 M 04 4 L E 4 0 M 3. k

July'18, 1967 D. J. MUNSON ETAL COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR Filed April 15, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTORS N R O w 4 Z m f h 2 m M Z United States Patent 3,331,629 Patented July 18, 1967 fifice 3,331,629 COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR Donald J. Munson and Kemuel B. Olander, Minneapolis, Minn., assignors to The J. R. Clark Company, Spring Park, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Apr. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 542,876 3 Claims. (Cl. 297-45) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A folding chair having transversely intercrossing and interpivoted leg frames with the upper portions of the frames supporting arm rests which extend inwardly over a fabric seat suspended between the frames. A pair of upright supports jointly carry a fabric back and are pivoted one to each frame upper portion so as to converge and pass by the amt rests as they are folded downwardly over the seat.

This invention relates to folding chairs and particularly to such chairs having independent back and seat members formed of flexible sheet material and commonly referred to as directors chairs.

A directors chair, as conventionally constructed, is provided with fabric back and seat panels held in taut condition by parallel side members and supported upon transversely intercrossing leg frames and with side arm rests at each side of the seat. Such chairs are generally designed to be collapsible to some degree for storage and shipment while yet affording a more comfortable sitting piece than other common folding seats such as camp stools, card table chairs and the like.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a directors chair having a back hinged to fold downwardly over the seat so as to be collapsible with the seat.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible directors chair with a foldable back and wherein the back hinge construction is such as to allow the back to be folded over the seat without interfering with arm rests disposed at either side of the seat.

With these objects in view the invention broadly comprises a chair having a pair of transversely intercrossing and interpivoted leg frames, the upper portions of said frames forming transversely spaced arm rests and jointly supporting a seat, a pair of back supports jointly supporting a back panel and pivoted one to each arm rest for folding movement between an upright position and a folded generally horizontal position over the seat and between the arm rests whereby as the arm rests are moved together to collapse the seat the back panel will collapse therewith.

The above mentioned and additional objects of the invention will be brought to light during the course of the following specification, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the chair in erect condition and with one front leg partially broken away.

'FIG. 2 is a horizontal section taken through the chair back on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and looking downwardly.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through the seat support means at one side of the chair taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a partially broken away plan view of the chair with the chair back folded forwardly upon the seat.

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of the chair in collapsed condition.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference numerals will be used to denote like parts or structural features in the difierent views. The leg structure comprises a pair of generally U-shaped leg frames 11 and 12 of identical configuration arranged in transversely intercrossing relationship. Each leg frame has parallel straight front and rear legs respectively denoted at 14 and 15. The upper or closed portion of each frame is offset from the plane of the legs to form an arm rest as by front and rear leg extensions '16 and 17 which are interconnected by the arm rest bar 18.

The front and rear legs 14 and 15 of each frame are pivotally connected on a common axis by the fore and aft extending pivot rod 19 for relative movement of the frames 11 and 12 between an erect or spread position (FIG. 1) and a collapsed position (FIG. 5). Rod 19 is secured by end nuts 23. A toggle brace 20 consists of two rigid link sections 21 and 22 pivotally interconnected at 24 and respectively having their outer ends pivoted at 25 and 26 to the two front legs 14 above the pivot rod 19. The axes of pivots 24, 25 and 26 are parallel to each other and to the axis of pivot rod 19. A stop tab 27 projects forwardly from link 21 over link 22 between the pivots 24 and 26 to prohibit downward but allow upward breakage of the brace 20 about pivot 24. It will accordingly be understood that when the brace 20 is in extended condition, as shown in FIG. 1, the chair frames will be locked in spread position. When, however, tab 27 is raised the brace is broken allowing the frames to be collapsed as in FIG. 5.

The lower floor engaging ends of the legs 14 and 15 are provided with swivel mounted floor conforming feet 29 of conventional construction.

Each frame 11, 12 carries a rod 30 (FIG. 3) horizontally disposed between the extensions 16 and 17. The

' rod is held against endwise displacement by nuts 31 threaded on the ends of the rod. Each rod carries an encircling tu'be 32 of suflicient length to limit endwise movement thereof between the frame portions '16 and 17. A rectangular seat panel 34 of flexible material such as canvas has its laterally opposed edge portions folded around tubes 32 and stitched as at 35 to secure the panel to the side frames.

An elongated arm rest pad 36 is mounted on each arm rest bar 18. The pads 36 are of somewhat greater width than the bars 18 to project inwardly over the seat 34, as shown in FIG. 4.

The back rest denoted generally at 38 comprises a pair of back support bars 39 having their lower ends pivoted at 40 one to each rear leg extension 17. These bars jointly support therebetween a back panel 41 of the same material as panel 34 which has its side edges looped around the bars and stitched as at 42. Panel 41 may be held against displacement from bars 39 by screws 44 threaded into the bars.

An important feature of the present invention lies in the pivotal connections 40 which join the support bars 39 to the portions 17 of each of the leg frames 11 and 12. An S-shaped stop member 46 (FIG. 2) is secured to extend around the front of each extension 17 and then inwardly as at 47 to form a stop for limiting rearward swinging movement of the support 39 about pivot 40. While the axis of pivots 40 are generally transverse and are on a common horizontal plane, they are disposed at a slight angle to a line between the members 17 so that the bars 39 move in a slightly converging direction as they A are folded downwardly. In other words, the axes of pivots 4t) intersect at a point slightly to the rear of the plane of back 38. These slightly angular pivots allow the support bars to move past the rest pads 36 as the back is folded forwardly.

The channel portion 47 of each stop member 46 actually forms a clip to frictionally engage and hold the support 39 in its upright position until forward folding pressure is applied thereto.

It will be understood that in use of the chair the components thereof will be in the relative positions shown in FIGQl with the back supports 39 seated in channels 47 and brace 20 extended to lock the frames 11 and 12 in spread relation. To collapse the chair, the supports 29 are folded forwardly about their pivots 40 to rest upon the seat 34, as shown in FIG. 4. Brace 20 is then broken upwardly and frames 11 and 12 are closed to the position shown in FIG. 5.

We have accordingly provided a chair construction which economically and effectively carries out the aforementioned objectives. It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illus trated and described our invention, What we claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

a 1. In a folding chair having a seat extending forwardly from an upright back, a pair of leg frames arranged in transversely intercrossing relation under the seat and being pivotally interconnected on a fore and aft extending axis at their intersection, the upper portions of said frames forming transversely spaced generally parallel arm rest bars extending forwardly from upright parallel rear leg extensions, fore and aft extending seat retention rods on each frame lying on a common horizontal plane vertically intermediate the pivot and arm rest bars, a seat of flexible material extending transversely between the rods and having its lateral edges connected thereto, a pair of back supports pivoted one to each rear leg extension above the seat on pivot axis intersecting to the rear of the leg extensions for fore and aft swinging movement of each support between anerect upright position and a forwardly folded position lying over the seat, a back panel of flexible material extending transversely between the back supports and having its lateral edges connected thereto, and stop means on each rear leg extension to engage and limit rearward swinging movement of each support to an upright position. 3 a

2. In a folding directors chair having a pair of transversely intercrossing side frames interpivoted on a fore and aft axis for relative swinging movement of the upper portions of the frames between spread and closed positions, a seat of flexible sheet material having its lateral edges attached one to each frame upper portion for spreading and closing therewith, the frame upper portions respectively presenting fore and aft extending parallel arm rests above the seat having portions thereof projecting inwardly over the seat, a pair of straight back supports jointly supporting a flexible back panel and pivoted one to each frame for swinging movement between an erect position in a common upright plane at the back of the seat and a forwardly folded position over the seat, and said support pivot axes intersecting to the rear of said common plane whereby the supports will move inwardly toward one another to pass by said inwardly projecting portions of the arm rests as the supports are moved to their forwardly folded positions.

3. The subject matter of claim 2 wherein holding means are provided between each support and its connecting frame to frictionally lock the supports in erect position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 40,208 10/ 1863 Abbott 29751 1,580,557 4/1926 McGrew 297- 1,588,575 6/1926 Grunwald 297350 1,765,845 6/1930 'Melish 29745 7 2,379,566 7/1945 Duke 29745 3,228,724 1/ 1966 Resar 29745 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,165,129 5/1958 France. 1,265,905 5/1961 France.

939,013 10/ 1963 Great Britain.

164,416 I 8/1958 Sweden.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner,

FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Examiner; 

1. IN A FOLDING CHAIR HAVING A SEAT EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM AN UPRIGHT BACK, A PAIR OF LEG FRAMES ARRANGED IN TRANSVERSELY INTERCROSSING RELATION UNDER THE SEAT AND BEING PIVOTALLY INTERCONNECTED ON A FORE AND AFT EXTENDING AXIS AT THEIR INTERSECTION ON A FORE AND AFT EXTENDING FORMING TRANSVERSELY SPACED GENERALLY PARALLEL ARM REST BARS EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM UPRIGHT PARALLEL REAR LEG EXTENSIONS, FORE AND AFT EXTENDING SEAT RETENTION RODS ON EACH FRAME LYING ON A COMMON HORIZONTAL PLANE VERTICALLY INTERMEDIATE THE PIVOT AND ARM REST BARS, A SEAT OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY BETWEEN THE RODS AND HAVING ITS LATERAL EDGES CONNECTED THERETO, A PAIR OF BACK SUPPORTS PIVOTED ONE TO EACH REAR LEG EXTENSION ABOVE THE SEAT ON PIVOT AXIS INTERSECTING TO THE REAR OF THE LEG EXTENSIONS FOR FORE AND AFT SWINGING MOVEMENT OF EACH SUPPORT BETWEEN AN ERECT UPRIGHT POSITION AND A FORWARDLY FOLDED POSITION LYING OVER THE SEAT, A BACK PANEL OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY BETWEEN THE BACK SUPPORTS 